Although Malgus had been under the impression that the Imperial Armada was going to raze Coruscant and destroy the Republic once and for all, the battle was ultimately used only as leverage in the peace negotiations on Alderaan. While the Alderaanian summit progressed, the Sith settled into an occupation of Coruscant. Malgus was placed in charge of orbital security, but the Sith Lord defied his orders and traveled back to Coruscant's surface to strike against the renegade JediAryn Leneer, who was targeting Malgus for his murder of her Master, Ven Zallow. Although Leneer ultimately failed, the conflict caused Malgus to become disillusioned with the Empire and to review his relationship with Daru as a weakness. Thus, he was forced to kill his lover to preserve his own power, which he later used to cleanse the Empire of the politicians whom he blamed for allowing the Republic to survive. During the Cold War years that followed the successful peace negotiations, Malgus led Sith forces into the Unknown Regions, claiming previously-unknown territories for the Empire.

Towards the end of the Cold War, following the presumed death of the Sith Emperor, Malgus came to the fore and declared a new Empire, one free of the infighting of the Dark Council. In time, however, he was tracked down to his secret base and defeated.

Sometime in his youth, a female Twi'lek servant on the estate of Verdaun's father committed a minor offense. Although the offense itself was meaningless to Veradun, he killed the woman to prove to himself that he was capable of doing so. His father was pleased with his son's actions,[4] and so contacted the Sith Academy on the Imperial capitalworld of Dromund Kaas. Veradun was to leave the estate and train at the academy to become a Sith Warrior.[11]

The day prior to Veradun's departure, his adoptive father took him on a tour of the zoo to teach him three lessons on personal conduct, deception, and expectations. The lessons, which his father crafted through the use of the animals and their behavior, had a profound impact on Veradun and shaped his philosophies for later in life. The next day, Veradun was taken to Dromund Kaas,[11] and he eventually became selected as an apprentice by the purebloodSith MasterVindican.[8] On a trip to the Outer Rim world of Geonosis, Veradun discovered a young Twi'lek slave girl by the name of Eleena Daru. Upon seeing that Daru was abused and physically beaten by her owner, Veradun killed her master and took the Twi'lek as his own. Although she remained his slave, the two became lovers[4] and he eventually came to treat her as a wife,[1] despite the Empire's anti-alien policies.[4]

It was thus that after being accepted as a Sith apprentice, Veradun found a new name for himself: Malgus.[8]

While Vindican engaged the ZabrakJedi MasterKao Cen Darach in battle, Malgus attacked Darach's PadawanSatele Shan. The Sith easily overpowered the younger Human at first, but a toss of Darach's lightsaber put Malgus on the defensive and allowed Shan to regain her footing. Malgus' master responded by unleashing a blast of lightning at Malgus' opponent, but Darach again came to his student's rescue by blasting the warrior with the Force, causing Vindican to change targets and attack the freighter nearby that belonged to a smuggler named Nico Okarr. Okarr was busy trying to start the ship so that he and the Jedi could escape, while a Republic trooper named Jace Malcom defended the freighter from the Sith's attack by launching a rocket at him.[8]

Vindican easily deflected the rocket, but was enraged to see Darach order Shan to escape aboard the freighter. Angered that his opponent was escaping, Malgus engaged Darach alongside his master while the Zabrak Battlemaster defended himself with both his and Shan's double-bladed lightsabers. Despite the Sith's advantage of numbers, Darach easily beat back their attacks and scored a hit on Vindican's face before stabbing the Sith Master through his chest. Despite the fall of Malgus' master, the younger Sith summoned Vindican's lightsaber to his hand and charged Darach, batting aside the chunks of machinery and metal that the Jedi threw at him. Knocking Shan's lightsaber from Darach's grasp and battering down the Zabrak's defenses, Malgus brought the duel to a close when he cut down the Jedi Master.[8]

Malgus was surprised to find that his master was still alive, and mocked Vindican for his failure to prevent the survivors' escape before decapitating the pureblood Sith as they watched the Sith armada descend on Korriban.[8] After the battle, Malgus walked alone on Korriban's surface and experienced a Force vision in which the galaxy and the Republic burned. From then on, Malgus believed that he would be responsible for the fall of the Republic and its Jedi Order.[4]

The Battle of Alderaan

In the years following the Battle of Korriban, Malgus was promoted to the rank of Sith Lord,[13] and around 3667 BBY[14] he was granted the title of Darth. Taking on the full name Darth Malgus, he was selected to personally lead Imperial forces in a surprise attack on the peaceful planet of Alderaan in the Core Worlds. Timing his attack to coincide with an Imperial feint to draw the Republic fleet far from the Core, Malgus landed thousands of assault droids and Imperial troopers accompanied by hundreds of Sith on Alderaan's surface after the Empire completed a vicious orbital bombardment.[13] Malgus himself led the Imperials on a march across the planet, burning forests and destroying cities on a trek towards the capital city. However, members of Havoc Squad—a unit from the Republic Special Forces—launched a guerrilla counterattack as the Sith Lord marched through a valley.[15]

Darth Malgus battles Satele Shan on Alderaan.

Commander Jace Malcom, the same trooper who Malgus had encountered fourteen years earlier at Korriban, led his troops against the Imperials, prompting Malgus to defend himself against several Republic soldiers. Seeing the Sith Lord butchering his soldiers, Malcom launched several rockets toward the Sith Lord. Malgus was able to protect himself against the explosions, though they scarred his face, and the Sith unleashed a blast of lightning to subdue Malcom when the trooper rushed him. At Malgus' command, three Sith prepared to execute Malcom,[15] but the arrival of Satele Shan—now a Jedi Knight[16]—saved the soldier from death.[15]

As she landed behind her friend, Shan unleashed a Force blast that sent the three Sith flying and drew Malgus' attention. The two enemies began to duel, with Malgus driving Shan to her knees with his powerful blows, but Shan brought a nearby tree crashing to the ground between them in order to force the Sith Lord back. As their duel continued, Malgus was able to cut Shan's lightsaber in half, forcing her to block Malgus' lightsaber with her bare hands by absorbing the weapon's energy. Malgus was interrupted when Malcom tackled the Sith Lord, wrestling with him before revealing that he was holding a grenade in his hand. The resulting explosion threw Malcom backwards, while Malgus was able to withstand the blast despite scarring to his face. Shan then chose this moment to blast Malgus with the Force, throwing him into a nearby cliffside and then unleashing a second, more powerful blast that brought down the entire cliff on top of the Sith.[15]

Defeat

Darth Malgus pulling out the rubble after his defeat against Shan.

The Sith forces were on retreat, as reinforcements arrived from the Republic in the system to help the battered Republic defendents.[15] Shan played a vital role in giving hope to the overwhelmed Republic forces on the ground.[15]

Malgus survived the encounter and was picked up by his personal shuttle.[11] Frustrated and enraged by the defeat, he paid little attention to his wounds. His breathing sounded like a rasp over wood. His skin stung from burns. His lungs were damaged. Lacerations and contusions made a grim mosaic on his flesh.[11] However, Malgus felt no pain.[11]

Revenge and the third lesson

As he departed Alderaan, Malgus sensed the presence of a Jedi within a ruined city on the planet. Desiring revenge against those who had deprived him of victory, Malgus ordered his shuttle's pilot to turn the craft around and hover over the city. Against the protests of the pilot, Malgus leaped from the craft to confront the Jedi within the city's ruined streets. Upon reaching the ground, the Sith called upon the Jedi. A Zabrak Jedi came out from one of the buildings and recognized him, igniting his two lightsabers in the process to face him — making his familiarity with Jar'Kai lightsaber combat style apparent.[11] Malgus rushed towards the Zabrak Jedi to engage him, but was caught off guard when his opponent used the Force to bring down two buildings (made of duracrete and steel) from the either side of the street on the Sith Lord in an attempt to kill him.[11]

Malgus was trapped under a mountain of rubble and used the Force to prevent himself from getting crushed.[11] Dust made his already troubled breath more difficult. Malgus was so lost in his thirst for revenge that he failed to properly evaluate the power of his new Jedi opponent.[11] With an effort of will, he contained his anger, controlled it, and made it in to a tool to sharpen his power. Using the Force, he blew tons of rubble up and away from him. It fell with a crash on adjacent buildings. Malgus jumped over the heap and landed on the street. The Zabrak Jedi was stunned. Malgus again charged towards his opponent and engaged him in a fierce lightsaber duel.[11] Malgus unleashed a blizzard of lightsaber strikes, which prevented the Zabrak Jedi to perform any counterattack. The Jedi retreated before the offensive, desperately intercepting Malgus's blows. Malgus's lightsaber traced glittering red arcs through the air, and he continued to push towards the Jedi. His opponent continued to give space. Malgus soon realized that the Zabrak Jedi was actually baiting him.[11]

Malgus augmented his Force sense and felt a faint sign of the presence of another Jedi nearby.[11] This Jedi was hiding in the ruins and was using the Force to suppress his signature.[11] Malgus unleashed a barrage of overpowering strikes on the Zabrak Jedi and performed a Force-augmented spinning side kick to knock him out of the way. He then Force gripped the second Jedi, pulled him out of the hiding, and crushed his windpipe.[11]

The murder of the second Jedi enraged the Zabrak Jedi and he charged towards Malgus. However, the Sith Lord unleashed a powerful barrage of Force lightning, which overwhelmed the defenses of his opponent and began to burn his flesh. But the Jedi staggered towards Malgus slowly under the cover of his lightsabers taking one step at a time regardless of his burns. Malgus channeled more power and forced the Jedi to his knees, who screamed with pain. Malgus's lightning spiraled around the Jedi, blasting dark holes in his body and his lightsabers fell on the ground.[11] The Zabrak Jedi was ruined by his attack but was still alive. The Sith Lord took a moment to observe the look of failure in the Jedi's eyes, and then impaled him. He remembered his third and final lesson from his foster father — sometimes there was just an empty cage — while rejoining his forces in retreat.[11]

Following the battle on Alderaan, Malgus was nursed back to health by Daru, but jaw wounds he received during the battle forced him to don a respirator mask[4] that covered his nose, mouth, and neck.[5]

The Outer Rim

Ord Radama

"The strength of my scream buckled the bridge's transparisteel viewport and left the crew's ears bleeding. More gratifyingly, my raged overloaded the fuel slugs of an incoming wave of Aureks. The bright bursts of their deaths raised a smile."

―Darth Malgus, describing the anger that he felt after sensing the death of Darth Venemal[src]

During the latter stages of the war, Malgus led a campaign against the Republic in the Outer Rim and he kept a record of his experiences inside a personal journal. 129 days into his campaign, Malgus's forces attacked the planet Ord Radama, and Malgus and the Sith Lord Darth Venemal supervised the landing of Sith forces on the world. Malgus and Venemal then led a group of Sith infantry in an assault on a Republic gun emplacement that was located at the base of a cliff. While Venemal and a group of commandos disabled the guns, Malgus led his remaining troops along a mountain pass, and he used the Force to roll a large boulder along the trail, to detonate a number of mines that lay in their way. Once he had reached the crest of the mountain, Malgus rejoined Venemal's team, and he congratulated the commandos after he learned that they had taken out a Republic stronghold. More Sith troops landed on Radama and a few days later, Malgus gathered together his soldiers and gave them a speech, to raise their spirits in preparation for an attack on Livien Magnus, the capital city of Ord Radama.[17]

Malgus' forces besieged Livien Magnus, in an attempt to starve the city's inhabitants. A week into their attack, Lord Adraas,[17] a rival of Malgus,[4] was sent to Ord Radama by the Emperor's advisory Dark Council, to provide Malgus with assistance. Malgus was angered by Adraas' presence on the planet and when Adraas suggested that they send some Mark I and Mark II Sith war droids to clear a path to the city, Malgus and Venemal did nothing to dissuade him, despite having misgivings about the droids' abilities. Under Adraas' orders, the droids attacked the city's southern gate and Malgus watched on as the droids were destroyed by the Republic defenders. However, the failure of the droids sufficiently distracted the Republic forces to allow Venemal and his commandos to enter the city and blast a whole in the wall. Livien Magnus quickly fell to Malgus' troops and Adraas subsequently tried to take all of the credit for the victory, which led Malgus to further despise his rival.[17]

In spite of their initial success, Malgus' forces were not resupplied and Malgus feared the Sith would loose control of Ord Radama. While the Ministry of Logistics was responsible for providing Malgus' troops with supplies, Malgus lack sufficient influence over MinisterShullis Khamarr, the leader of the Ministry, to compel her to help him, and instead, he sent some requests for resources to War MinisterShareis. However, Shareis did not respond and Khamarr failed to send Malgus any supplies, and the Republic eventually sent a number of Hammerhead-class cruisers and Thranta-class corvettes to attack Malgus' ships in orbit of Ord Radama. From the balcony of a palace in Livien Magnus, Malgus observed as Republic ships engaged his fleet, so he boarded his personal shuttle and flew up to assume command of the dreadnaughtLindworm. However, by the time Malgus arrived on the Lindworm's bridge, the Sith had already lost the battle, and he watched as a stricken Sith Harrower-class Dreadnaught plummeted into the atmosphere of Ord Radama and crashed into the center of Livien Magnus. Through the Force, Malgus felt the deaths of Venemal and a hundred thousand of the city's inhabitants, and he screamed out in anger. The power of his scream buckled the bridge's viewport, caused the crew's ears to bleed, and also destroyed a wave of Republic Aurek-class tactical strikefighters that were passing the vessel. Realizing that the Sith had no hope of defeating the Republic ships, Malgus ordered his remaining forces to depart the system and jump to the heart of Sith Space.[17]

Republic advance and the fall of Serenno

"We must now defend the heart of our own territory. I am enraged that the Dark Council allowed war to reach Ashas Ree, yet I must allow some measure of admiration for the way the Republic has outmaneuvered us."

After his withdrawal to Sith Space, Malgus' forces were pursued by the Republic and a Republic fleet attacked the Sith world of Ziost. Malgus participated in the battle and the Sith failed to halt the advance of the Republic, which soon launched a strike against the planet Ashas Ree. Malgus was dispatched to help defend Ashas Ree and once he arrived on the world, he took command of a line of siege tanks and used them to hold off a series of attacks from Republic vehicles. The Sith forces were eventually victorious on Ashas Ree and in recognition of the role that Malgus played in the battle, the Dark Council informed him that he would never again have to face shortage of resources like he had at Ord Radama.[17]

After receiving word from Imperial Intelligence that Jedi Master Ven Zallow—the commander of the Republic forces that had participated in the Battle of Ashas Ree—was headquartered on the world Serenno, Malgus activated a Cipher Agent, a high-ranking Serenno noble who worked for Imperial Intelligence, and the agent informed him the Republic was planning to move to a new forward base on the planet. In preparation for a Sith attack, another Cipher Agent was ordered to assassinate Zallow, to disrupt the Republic command structure, and Malgus planned to lead a force of warships to Serenno once the agent had completed the assignment. When Malgus received word that the agent had been successful, he ordered his fleet to jump to Seronno and he scattered a number Republic vessels that were orbiting the planet. Malgus then secured control of the villa of House Palerma, which the Republic had been using as a command post, and he was angered to discover that Zallow had killed Malgus' infiltrator and fled the world. The Serenno families House Comprassi and House Teramo objected to the presence of the Sith on their planet and they hired a group of mercenaries to attack the villa. However, the mecenaries' attack was unsuccessful and Malgus observed from a parapet while some Sith assassins defeated the attackers.[17]

The Reconquest of Ord Radama

"The Sith Emperor has ordered us to recapture Ord Radama. I will lead the attack. There are rumors that some blame me for the death of Lord Venemal and the defeat suffered there. This campaign shall restore my honor and prove the fitness of the Sith Empire."

A number of rumors circulated that claimed that some among the Sith blamed Malgus for the death of Darth Venemal, and when the Sith Emperor ordered Malgus to recapture Ord Radama, Malgus believed that the attack would give him an opportunity to restore his honor. Leaving nothing to chance, Malgus planned to lead a regiment of Sith Warriors in an assault on New Raido, Ord Radama's new capital city, with droids, troopers and commandos to join him once he had breached the city's defenses. The battle waged on for a number of weeks and Malgus suffered a number of setbacks as a result of the actions of the Jedi. However, he reveled in the bloodbath of the battle, despite the fact that the slow pace of the assault cost him his favor with the Dark Council. He remained certain that he would achieve victory on the world and that his triumph would earn him a place in Sith army that was gathering to attack the Republic's capital world of Coruscant. Malgus also suspected that the power source of the Dark Reaper, a superweapon used during the Great Sith War, was located on Ord Radama.[17]

Malgus later began to assemble a task force in preparation for an assault on Republic-controlled space in the Core Worlds, and the Dark Council placed at his disposal 4 Harrower battle cruisers, 48 Fury-class Imperial interceptors and 192 ISF interceptors.[17]

Sacking of Coruscant

In 3653 BBY, twenty-eight years after the war's beginning, the Dark Council contacted the Republic Senate, expressing their wish to negotiate an end to the conflict. While delegations from the Empire, the Senate, and the Jedi Order prepared to meet on Alderaan to form a peace agreement, the Sith made preparations for their strike on Coruscant.[18] The high-ranking Sith Lord Darth Angral was placed in charge of the entire operation while Darth Malgus was chosen to lead an early attack on the Temple of the Jedi Order. Under the impression that the Empire would invade Coruscant and proceed to wipe it clean of life via orbital bombardment, Malgus eagerly accepted the responsibility, believing it to be the fruition of his vision on Korriban that foretold his destruction of the Republic. Malgus's attack plan involved him entering the Temple, wherein he would distract the Jedi while a force of fifty Sith Warriors infiltrated the ancient edifice[4] and destroyed the planetary defense grid mainframe within.[19] Although Malgus requested that he be the preliminary attack's sole leader, Angral insisted that Malgus' rival Lord Adraas, a political ally of Angral's, act as the second-in-command by overseeing the fifty-man infiltration team.[4]

Attack on the Jedi Temple

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In the months leading up to the attack, Malgus and his team diligently practiced and planned for their mission and the Sith Lord personally viewed computerized models of the assault thousands of times. When the negotiating parties began their peace summit on Alderaan, the Sith's plan was set in motion; Malgus, accompanied by Eleena Daru, arrived on Coruscant and proceeded on foot to the Jedi Temple, passing through crowded plazas filled with Coruscanti citizens unaware of the impending attack. The two used the opportunity to discuss their views on both their life of battle and the Force, sharing a passionate kiss on the way. Before reaching the Jedi Temple, Malgus received a confirmation from the Mandalorian[5]bounty hunterShae Vizla[20] that Coruscant's defensive grid had been disabled in preparation for the Sith assault.[4]

A squad of Temple security guards attempted to stop his advance, and Malgus advised Daru to not interfere before he quickly dispatched the group.[4] Vizla, observing the sight from a recess in the face of the Temple, took this as her cue and infiltrated the Temple via a maintenance hatch as her colleagues strode in through the main entrance.[4][5]

Malgus combats Ven Zallow during the invasion of the Jedi Temple.

Six Jedi Knights dropped from the balconies to confront the strangers, and Jedi Master Ven Zallow joined them. As one, the seven Jedi moved towards Malgus and Eleena, and Malgus and Eleena moved towards them. The chrono on Malgus's wrist began to beep, indicating the approach of a hijacked NR2 Republic drop ship towards the Jedi Temple. The beep panicked the Jedi Knights inside; they ignited their lightsabers, backed off a step, and assumed a fighting stance.[5] However, Zallow held his ground before Malgus. Malgus credited him for it and inclined his head in a show of respect.[4] The drop ship finally breached the Jedi Temple's main entrance, skidded along the Temple floor, gouging stone, trailing fire, toppling columns, collapsing balconies, and crushing victims beneath it.[5]

However, Malgus and Zallow remained motionless until it came to a halt directly behind them. The craft's hatch blew open to reveal Lord Adraas and the team of fifty Sith Warriors[4] who proceeded to ignite their lightsabers. At that moment, Malgus recalled his vision on Korriban, smiled, and activated his lightsaber.[4] The reinforcements joined Malgus, Daru, and the bounty hunter Vizla in attacking the Jedi and their security forces.[5]

Zallow and his Knights leapt twenty meters backwards where several other Jedi rallied behind them. At that moment, Adraas and Sith Warriors charged towards the Jedi.[5] Some Republic troops arrived at the scene and joined the Jedi in their struggle against the Sith. Batting aside their blaster fire Malgus was in pursuit of Zallow but was yet to meet him. His next target was a Jedi whom he struck down after a brief duel. Another Jedi, a Zabrak female, then caught his attention who was attempting to get close to Daru and kill her. Daru's skills were useless against this opponent, therefore Malgus intervened. He drew on the Force and with a Force push drove the Jedi across the hall and into one of the towering columns of stone, where she collapsed, blood leaking from her nose. The battle seemed to have turned more chaotic by this time.[4]

Adraas suddenly leapt into the middle of a squad of Republic soldiers and punctuate his landing with an explosion of Force energy that cast the soldiers away like dry leaves. Malgus then unleashed a blast of Force lightning which engulfed and two Padawans and one Jedi Knight simultaneously, killed them, and badly burned their bodies.[4][5] Adraas and Malgus exchanged a mocking salute after these two impressive feats.[4]

Daru traded fire with another bunch of Republic troops, which caught Malgus's attention. Before he could intervene,[4] Vizla fired two rockets at the troops and killed them. She then hovered above another group of troops with her jetpacks and used her flamethrower to kill them.[5] Malgus now realized that the tide of the battle has turned in the favor of his forces. He again attempted to locate Zallow but got swarmed by three more Jedi; one male, one female, and one Togruta female. He used his dueling abilities in conjunction with acrobatics to outwit them. The female went down to him first whom Malgus knocked out by slamming her on the floor with his Force-enhanced strength. He then jumped behind the Togruta female, countered her lightsaber strikes and drove her across the lying rubble with a Force push. Finally, he dodged a lightsaber strike of the male, grabbed him by his throat, lifted him up in the air, and squeezed him to death.[4]

Malgus was now more enraged than ever before. He finally spotted Zallow, an opponent he considered to be worthy among all he has fought in a day. Zallow's dueling abilities were impressive and he cut down two Sith Warriors quickly while Malgus watched him. At that moment, Adraas landed right behind Zallow and attempted to kill him. Zallow dodged his attacks and sent him skidding across the hall backside with a Force push. Malgus then charged towards Zallow and caught attention of both Daru and Zallow in the process. Daru opened fire on Zallow to help Malgus. Zallow, without even looking at Daru, deflected her bolts with his lightsaber, and sent them back at her. Two struck her, and as she collapsed,[4] Zallow used a blast of power to drive her body against a column.[5]

Malgus stopped for a moment and looked at Daru. His anger overcame him. He let his anger loose and power went with it, shattering a nearby column and sending a rain of stone shards through the room. He focused his attention on Zallow again, his rage and power surging before him in a palpable wave. At this moment, another Jedi confronted Malgus. The Sith Lord without even focusing on him, simply extended a hand, pushed through the Jedi's defenses, and choked him to death, tossing his body aside as he charged towards Zallow. The Jedi Master also went for Malgus. A Sith Warrior confronted Zallow at this juncture but was cut down by him. Malgus and Zallow finally came face-to-face and halted, studying each other for a moment. A Jedi Knight interrupted Malgus by attempting to stab him. Malgus dodged and punched the Jedi, knocking him off-balance. He then landed a killer blow on the Jedi but Zallow intercepted his blade. The two locked eyes and began exchanging blows for a brief moment.[4] Malgus performed a Force-augmented kick on the chest of Zallow, which sent him flying backward about ten meters. Zallow landed on his feet but near two more Sith Warriors. They attacked him but he cut them both down with impressive speed. Malgus then threw his lightsaber at Zallow, guiding its trajectory with the Force. However, Zallow leaped in to air above it in an attempt to dodge the attack. While Zallow was still in the air, Malgus unleashed a blast of energy that caught the Jedi unprepared and sent him crashing downward into a pile of rubble. He lay there, prone. Malgus then jumped twenty meters high in to air towards the position of Zallow, recalling his lightsaber in the process, took a reverse two-handed grip, and prepared to pin Zallow to the Temple floor. But Zallow rolled out of the way at the last moment and Malgus’s blade sank to the hilt in the stone of the Temple’s floor. Zallow leapt up and over Malgus, landed in a crouch, reactivated his lightsaber, and pelted across the floor back at Malgus. Eschewing speed and grace for power, Zallow unleashed an impressive barrage of lightsaber strikes. Malgus countered his moves but was unable to find an opening. Zallow managed to slam the hilt of his saber into the side of Malgus's jaw,[5] inflicting a minor wound on his adversary.[4] Seeing an opening, Zallow stepped forward and aimed for Malgus's throat. However, Malgus was ready; he turned his blade vertical to parry the blow and spun out of the blade lock. Reversing his lightsaber during the spin, he rode it into a stab that pierced Zallow's abdomen.[5] Zallow's expression fell, as he hung there, impaled by the lightsaber of his opponent. In his eyes, Malgus saw the flames of the burning Temple reflected and the approach of Imperial naval forces.[4][5]

Imperial assault on Coruscant

The Sacking of Coruscant had begun, and while Sith forces led by Darth Angral took control of the SenateBuilding and killed the Republic's Supreme ChancellorBerooken,[21] the Sith armada had begun their bombardment of the capital[5] on the command of Adraas, who had bypassed Malgus to issue the order. Within the Temple, Malgus basked in the destruction, congratulating the surviving Sith before tending to Daru. He had Adraas send for a medical team from the Imperial medical transportSteadfast before dismissing him for his insubordination in ordering the bombardment. Malgus watched from the Temple's ruined entrance as Imperial bombers brought destruction to the city-planet, taking the opportunity to contact Darth Angral aboard the battlecruiser Darkness and inform him of the battle.[4]

When the medical team arrived, Malgus ordered them to care for the wounded, Daru included. Despite the her initial protests about leaving Malgus's side, the Twi'lek went with the medics to the Steadfast in orbit when the Sith Lord informed her that he would travel to the medical ship once he was finished on Coruscant. Adraas approached Malgus and questioned him on the fate of the Jedi's bodies; as Malgus believed that they had fought honorably, he decided to make the Temple their final resting place, using the remaining explosives in the drop ship to destroy the structure. As the remaining Sith joined Malgus twenty meters away from the Temple, he took in all the building's features before activating the detonator. The ancient symbol of the Jedi Order fell in on itself, spewing debris in every direction. Malgus and the others created a wall of Force energy that shielded them from the destruction, allowing them to watch the entire process in safety as they cheered.[4]

Disillusionment

"Do you know your own Order betrayed you, Jedi? They informed us that you might be coming here.""I no longer belong to an Order.""Then we have more in common than anger."

As the battle across Coruscant continued to rage, Malgus's warriors returned to their orbiting warships. The Sith Lord chose to remain at the ruins of the Jedi Temple so that he could watch the orbital bombardment firsthand. After waiting for several hours and witnessing a gradual reduction of Imperial forces, Malgus contacted the Darkness's captain, Jard, demanding to know why the orbital bombardment had not yet commenced. The captain revealed to Darth Malgus that Lord Angral had ordered the Empire's forces to shift into occupational procedures, as the negotiations on Alderaan were continuing. Enraged, Malgus quickly traveled to the Senate Building, where Angral had commandeered the offices of the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, who was killed during the initial invasion. While en route, Darth Malgus learned that the Sith leaders had chosen to use the occupied Coruscant as political leverage in the negotiations instead of outright destroying the planet. In the Sith Lord's eyes, this directly contradicted both his purpose and the purpose of the Empire, and prevented his vision of destroying the Republic from coming to fruition.[4]

Upon arrival at the Senate, Malgus was escorted to the Chancellor's office by Captain Roon Neele. Within, he quickly began to question the change of plans in an emotional outburst before his superior. Unknown to Malgus, Adraas had beaten him to Angral's command post, and the inferior Lord's presence made the meeting into a major embarrassment for Malgus. The angered Sith was unpracticed in Imperial politics unlike his two contemporaries, who hoped to use Darth Malgus's love for Eleena Daru and disapproval of the Emperor's policies as political leverage against him. As their tense conversation progressed, Adraas revealed that he had refused Daru treatment aboard the Steadfast and instead redirected her to one of the civilian hospitals on Coruscant's surface. Upon hearing his rival call Daru a "mongrel," Malgus drew his lightsaber and crossed blades with Adraas's own. Angral ended the fight and sent Malgus away to find his lover, but kept Adraas in his offices in a clear showing of where his favor lay.[4]

Darth Malgus was provided with the location of Daru's hospital and traveled there immediately to collect his lover. The facility was overwhelmed by victims of the Sith attack, and had become so inundated that doctors, nurses, and the wounded spilled over onto the hospital's roof and the street outside. Malgus's shuttle set down in the middle of the street, where he was met by an irate mob of Coruscanti. As the citizens jeered and heckled the Sith Lord, one of the individuals in the crowd threw a chunk of duracrete at Malgus. Although he was able to crush the rock with the Force, Malgus was still enraged by the act and demanded to know who threw it. When no one came forward, the Sith Lord attempted to disperse the crowd, but instead received only pleas for assistance. In response, he emitted a wave of Force power that pushed everyone in his vicinity away from him violently, resulting in more injuries and destruction. The path cleared, Malgus entered the hospital and demanded that a nurse direct him to Daru. Upon finding his lover, Malgus removed her from the hospital and carried her back to his transport. While they traveled up to the Valor in orbit, the Sith Lord contemplated Angral and Adraas's intent to use Daru against him, and found difficulty in reconciling his love for the Twi'lek with his duty as a Sith.[4]

He was eventually contacted by Darth Angral, who ordered him to remain in orbit aboard the Valor in order to oversee the blockade fleet. Although Malgus saw the job as menial, he complied and remained on the bridge of his cruiser while Adraas and Angral handled matters on the surface. The day after the invasion of Coruscant, the fleet intercepted a Dragonfly-class drop ship bound for the planet. The owner, bounty hunter Vrath Xizor informed Captain Jard that he was in possession of information that would be valuable to the commander of the blockade. Darth Malgus eventually consented to meet with the man, who informed the Sith that a smuggler would soon try to run the Imperial blockade with a Jedi Knight in tow. Although Malgus was skeptical of Xizor's claims, he raised the Valor's alert levels and intensified the scans of incoming Imperial supply superfreighter convoys. When an anomaly was detected within one of the incoming convoys, Malgus dispatched a flight of Imperial shuttles to conduct visual searches of the freighter's hulls. Upon discovering an XS stock light freighter attached to the aft section of the superfreighter Dromo, the shuttles moved to destroy the craft, but were prevented from doing so when the intruder remained close to the superfreighter. In an attempt to draw the XS light freighter out from cover, Darth Malgus ordered that the convoy disperse so that the Valor could get a clear shot.[4]

During the commotion, Malgus was contacted by Darth Angral, but put off answering the communication until he was finished with the spice runner. Malgus instead hailed the intruding freighter and ordered the pilot to power down or be destroyed. When the smuggler, Zeerid Korr, refused, Malgus returned to Angral's communication. The superior Sith Lord informed him that the Imperial delegation on Alderaan had received information from their Jedi contemporaries; a Jedi woman by the name of Aryn Leneer had apparently left the negotiations without permission, and so was in danger of disrupting the imminent peace. The leader of the Jedi delegation, Master Dar'Nala, indicated to the Sith that Leneer's actions were not to be attributed to either the Order or the Republic, and that she was to be treated as an independent hostile agent.[4]

Unrest during the Cold War

"You are a mongrel, Adraas. Angral's mongrel and you and those like you have mongrelized the purity of the Empire with your pollution, trading strength for wretched peace."

Following the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, which officially ended the war, Malgus distanced himself from the power games being played by various Sith vying for a seat on the Empire's governing Dark Council. Instead, Malgus led Sith forces into the Unknown Regions, expanding the Empire's control into the largely-unexplored territories. Though a fierce fighter, he stood out as an oddity among the Sith of his day, often employing mercenaries of various alien species thought by the Empire to be deceitful and disloyal. Malgus learned many languages as a result.[1]
He also commissioned to the Dark Council's member Darth Mekhis a superweapon, the Emperor's Shadow.[22]

Malgus was responsible for ordering many operations during the Cold War, such as those involving the Hammer Station and more notably, claiming the Foundry and defeating its master, Revan.

A New Emperor

Malgus: "Don't you see? Our survival demands a new Empire, tempered by alien alliances and strengthened by tolerance."

Darth Nox: "I've seen the Empire's weakness. We must change to survive, but you're going about it the wrong way."

Malgus: "You know the Dark Council would never willingly relinquish their power."

Following the presumed death of the Sith Emperor on Dromund Kaas, Darth ArhoinvadedIlum as retaliation. But his striving was thwarted by Darth Malgus who helped the Republic into defeating him in order to see his rival cast aside, including aiding in the rescue of Supreme CommanderRans. He also served as a military consultant on behalf of the Dark Council, observing Imperial attempts to secure Adegan crystals to create an invincible stealth armada. He advocated the need for alien alliances and reforms in the Empire, ideals that were rejected by staunch traditionalist Grand MoffIlyan Regus.

But once Malgus had the crystals, he delivered a great speech announcing a new Empire and declared himself the new Emperor, which would be free of the infighting of the Dark Council, powered through alien alliances and tolerance. In a message to the Empire he defected from, he explained that he used the Foundry's power to create a droid army, similar to Revan's, but much more powerful. He sent his ally, Darth Serevin, on Ilum to fulfill the invasion began by Darth Arho. But Serevin was defeated and the strike team secured a stealth command ship from the invading fleet and flew it to the coordinates of Darth Malgus's hidden stealth space station.

Cornered in his throne room, Malgus activated the station's self-destruct sequence to destroy the fleets assaulting it before dueling the strike team sent to face him. But for all that he was a brutal and skilled fighter, Malgus' resolve weakened as the battle went on. Taking advantage of this, his attackers were able to use pulse grenades, Force powers and other means to force him over the edge of the platform and down the reactor shaft to his death.[9]

Legacy

"The excerpts from the journal of Darth Malgus kept during the Great Galactic War some thirty-six centuries ago are a prime example of how a wounded warrior can be sustained by rage. The war was an unbounded success for the era's Sith Emperor, and Malgus was one of his best soldiers."

Thousands of years later, the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Bane wrote about Darth Malgus in the book The Rule of Two. The Sith Lord Darth Sidious eventually obtained some surviving excerpts of Malgus' journals from an antiquities dealer and bound them into his Book of Sith, an anthology of Sith historical writings. Sidious found Malgus' military abilities and strength in the dark side impressive, and his apprentice Darth Vader later studied Malgus' writings and noted a degree of similarity between himself and the ancient Sith Lord.[17]

Personality and traits

"He hurts even those he himself loves. These men and their wars. His name is Veradun, Jedi. And he would kill me if he knew I told you. But names are important."

Darth Malgus had a distinct personality among the Sith.[1] He was a fierce frontline warrior who often utilized alien mercenaries to do his bidding even when they were considered to be unreliable by the Sith in his time. Because of his interactions with many alien species, Malgus learned many alien languages.[1]

Malgus had a romantic relationship with an alien female named Eleena Daru, treating her not as a slave but like a wife. Interestingly, Malgus had an understanding with Daru that their private relationship should remain hidden from the strangers. He believed that his rivals may exploit him, if they found out about the true nature of their relationship. Only Daru was privileged to call Darth Malgus by his real name, Veradun, and that too in private.[4]

Malgus's personality justified his reputation as a fierce frontline warrior. He believed that he was born to fight and the Sith Empire was the instrument through which he realized his purpose. To him, the cost of the war did not matter regardless of how high it could be.[4]

Malgus perceived the Force as a source of conflict. Upon questioning from his friend Daru, he pointed out that the Force has light side and dark side which supports his perception. The Jedi, in his opinion, understood the Force partially. He acknowledged that some of them were powerful in its use. However, he regarded the Jedi as fools.[4]

Malgus did not tolerate failure at any cost.[4] After he killed Jedi Master Kao Cen Darach and learned of Satele Shan and her comrades' escape, he felt disgusted with his Sith Master, Vindican for not assuring a total victory. Although he struck the wounded Pureblood Sith Lord down, he nonetheless savored their last victory together, which was of utmost significance.[8] After the defeat on Alderaan, Malgus fell in to uncontrollable rage for a while, fought two Jedi regardless of his injuries, and killed them in an act of revenge before leaving.[11]

As a confident individual, Malgus was brave and boldly entered the Jedi Temple for confrontation with the Jedi with only his friend Daru by his side.[4] When the captured shuttle crashed through the Temple's main entrance and skidded along the walkway, Malgus held his position while the majority of the Jedi around him prepared to flee if necessary.[5] When Jedi Master Ven Zallow remained stationary, Malgus acknowledged his lack of fear with a nod of respect. Malgus took joy in killing Republic soldiers, especially after a commando used heavy firepower against him during the Battle of Alderaan. When faced with a desire to slay someone, he was prepared to kill his own allies if no enemies remained just to satisfy his rage.[4] In later years, Zallow has been recognized as Malgus's most notable kill.[1]

Regardless of his contempt for the Jedi, Malgus was a man of principles. He was not accustomed to comforts and never drank wine. He always kept his promises. Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer wanted to avenge the death of her Jedi Master Ven Zallow, with whom she shared a powerful bond. She learned about the relationship between Malgus and Daru and wanted to exploit it. She decided to kill Daru to give Malgus a taste of the pain she felt because of his actions. However, Aryn controlled her emotions and let Daru live after encountering her in a Spaceport. Malgus also reached there and defeated Aryn in combat. But he spared her life in exchange of her sparing the life of Daru and gave her the option to leave Coruscant. Aryn was impressed but confused. While Aryn was leaving Coruscant, Malgus kept his promise and did not take advantage of her situation.[4]

However, Malgus realized his worst fears and his experience with Aryn changed him for good. He realized that Daru was his weakness just like the Jedi. He could no longer afford this weakness. Therefore, he killed his only friend and freed himself from the shackles of emotions.[4]

On Korriban, Malgus saw a vision of the Galaxy in flames; the fall of a Galaxy-spanning government (the Republic).[4] However, Malgus was also a critic of the policy matters of the Sith Empire.[1] After the Treaty of Coruscant, he felt disgusted with the politics of the Sith Empire and felt that the Republic was not the only system that required cleansing. Malgus especially had disagreements with his Sith rival Lord Adraas on various matters and killed him.[4]

Malgus desired reforms in the Sith Empire after the Treaty of Coruscant which earned him contempt from certain quarters. He was not interested in the backstabbing politics of the top-ranking Sith desiring seats on the Dark Council. However, he was reliable and preferred to lead military expeditions into the unexplored territories with the objective of increasing the influence of the Sith Empire as a whole.[1]

Powers and abilities

Lightsaber training

"Malgus's lightsaber form was flawless, but he let his anger and desperation cloud his fighting. He faltered, and I followed through."

Darth Malgus was an exceptionally talented duelist and specialized in using rage and brute strength to defeat his opponents. Aside from his overwhelming physical strength, which served him well not only in lightsaber duels but also in hand to hand combat, Malgus also often performed acrobatics to increase his effectiveness in lightsaber combat. His speed was such that a normal human found it difficult to watch his movements in his duels.[4]

Darth Malgus's Lightsaber

A ferocious Sith Warrior with a terrifying reputation,[1] Darth Malgus relished engaging in combat on the front line.[15] He was personally responsible for the deaths of several highly skilled Jedi Masters. During the retaking of Korriban, he employed Jar'Kai to kill the Jedi Battlemaster Kao Cen Darach despite the latter's proficiency in the same fighting style and victory over Malgus's Master, Vindican. Malgus's strength, rage, and clear focus gave him an advantage and allowed him to swiftly deprive Kao of one of his lightsabers and finally slay the Jedi Master.[8] Years later, during the Sacking of Coruscant, Malgus managed to impale Jedi Master Ven Zallow in a short but ferocious duel.[5] Zallow was often regarded as his most famous kill.[1]

Force abilities

"Your instructors tell me that they've seen few with your potential in the Force."

Darth Malgus utilized a variety of Forcepowers during the Sacking of Coruscant to defeat many Jedi and Republic soldiers who stood in his path, including saber throw, Force push, choke, jump, speed and lightning. Malgus used his emotions — such as anger and distaste of others — to fuel his power of the dark side. Malgus demonstrated the skill and power to handle multiple opponents simultaneously without much effort.[5]

In one instance, Malgus unleashed a powerful blast of Force lightning and killed 3 Jedi with it. Malgus himself could tolerate Force lightning attacks. During his duel with Lord Adraas, Malgus strode through the barrage of the Force lightning from his opponent using his lightsaber and fingers as conduit, and redirected it back towards his opponent to knock him off his feet.[4] He perfected his application of Force lightning to a degree from which he could unleash a Force Maelstrom.[17]

Malgus also performed Force screams to make his hatred apparent to his opponents as well as destroy enemy fighters within his range.[4][17] During his raid of the Jedi Temple, Malgus unleashed power with an expression of his rage which shattered a nearby column of wall and send a rain of stone shards through the room when his friend Eleena Daru was struck down by his most powerful opponent in the region; Zallow.[4][5] Malgus used this ability once again during his raid of the resting place of Adraas, making his extreme hatred for him clearly visible by leaving a trail of destruction around him with it during his advance towards his powerful Sith rival.[4]

Malgus often used Force speed to augment his physical movements.[8] When Malgus engaged Jedi Knight Aryn Leener in a duel, an observer attempted to watch them but could not properly see their movements because of their immense speed. Later on, Malgus used this ability once again while he was rushing towards the hangar in a Spaceport to rescue Daru from a threat, leaving the troops accompanying him far behind.[4]

Being strong in the Force, Malgus was proficient in the applications of telekinesis. Malgus could counter-push his opponents in the mid-air while they would jump towards him to knock them out in the process.[5] During the duel with Aryn, Malgus demonstrated the ability to hurl objects as missiles towards his opponent.[4] Malgus could also perform Force grip and Force crush.[4][5]

On Alderaan, a Zabrak Jedi used the Force to collapse two buildings on Malgus in an attempt to kill him. Malgus stood under the mountain of rubble composed of building parts made of duracrete and steel preventing it from crushing him beneath with the Force. Malgus controlled his anger and sharpened his power. He blew the rubble up and away from him, sending it crashing in adjacent buildings.[11]

Malgus also performed Force wave when he attempted to disperse a large crowd gathered outside a Medical Facility in Coruscant to check on Daru. The blast shoved everything away from him in all directions, and bodies slammed in to each other, walls, and windows. The nearby Transport lurched, and all the doors of the Medical Facility broke loose and fell to the ground.[4]

On Alderaan, Malgus also faced Jedi Master Satele Shan and her allies in single combat and tolerated heavy firepower and Force powers from his opponents which shattered large objects around him.[15] He was seriously injured but he survived and felt no pain.[11]

Malgus could also hide his presence in the Force.[4] Interestingly, a Jedi in Alderaan used this ability to suppress his Force signature when he planned to ambush Malgus but it was not effective against him. Malgus still managed to sense his presence and foiled his plans.[11]

Prior to duel with Adraas, Malgus became more powerful than ever before by eliminating his only source of weakness; Daru. Her death allowed Malgus to reach in such a mental state that he resided in the calm eye of a storm of hate. Power churned around him, within him. He did not feel as if he were drawing on the Force, using it. He felt as if he were the Force, as if he had merged with it. Within this state, Malgus became virtually unstoppable.[4]

Behind the scenes

"He's definitely not a hero, and he's not an anti-hero. My goal was to create a character that readers can respect but still abhor. I very much enjoy writing characters who live in a moral twilight."

―Paul S. Kemp, on developing Malgus for The Old Republic: Deceived[src]